How to make friends in your thirties

Written by dee dee donato| 13/05/2017

Taking time to cultivate friendships with other women is a healthy way to build confidence and have fun. (Getty Thinkstock)

Your 30s should be a time to thrive, but they can be a little rough when it comes to making new friends. Most people in their 30s are tied up with busy jobs, marriages or other romantic relationships, kids, and taking care of ageing parents. Making friends almost doesn't seem like an option, but it can be done with a little effort. The key is to keep trying and not give up. If you do, you'll miss out some very deep and meaningful friendships.

Follow the link in Resources and browse the website Meetup, which allows you to find other people with the same interests. Look for groups specifically titled "30-something," or browse through other social groups that sets age parameters that include the 30s. If you can't find something in your area, start your own Meetup group and let others find you. This is a great online tool that allows you to find others but encourages you to get together with those people face-to-face.

Start a group on Facebook titled "30-something" to attract people in your age group.This will allow you to make friends from all over the world. Be sure to specify where you live if you want to meet face-to-face with some of the people who become attracted to the group. Simply log in to Facebook and click "Groups" on the right side of the home page (under "Applications"). Click "Create New Group," then fill in the requested information, including a name for your new group and a description of its purpose. Craft this carefully, as it will be the basis for attracting people to befriend.

Join adult groups at church. Many churches host dinners, Bible studies and other social gatherings geared toward adults in their 30s and up.

Take personal-growth classes that are geared toward things 30-somethings like to do. Consider taking classes in cooking, wine-tasting or investing. While you learn something new, you'll get to interact with others of a similar age, and who have similar interests.

Join or start a dinner club to enjoy fine meals in your area. Food and friendship always mix, and give men and women alike a chance to sit down and engage in conversation with new people.

Take a vacation with a tour group. Since tours (particularly to Europe) can be expensive, it's likely you will find a more mature group of people on the tour. College students are usually too poor and too busy to embark on these types of adventures. You should be able to find at least a friend or two on the trip who is in her 30s. You'll get along that much better if you both love travelling.